


Underneath It All

by PeculiarProjects



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: "I didn't think that" @Arthur, Canon Compliant, Confused Merlin, Dirty Thoughts, Fluff, Gaius is basically dad, M/M, Magic, Merlin is keeping secrets, Merthur - Freeform, Pining Arthur, Pining Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Reader is not all-knowing, Tags May Change, enchanted Arthur
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 02:22:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15475401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeculiarProjects/pseuds/PeculiarProjects
Summary: When someone in the castle gives Arthur a potion that awakens his innermost desire, Merlin must discover what is wrong and fix it. Will he be able to (or even want to) change the situation when Arthur's newfound fixation is Merlin?





	1. The First Domino

**Author's Note:**

> My recommendation is to be at least 3 seasons into Merlin, as there are references to past events. Gwaine is in this series eventually, but since he comes in after season 3 starts, I have the characters not know one another very well. You should also be aware of the details of Morgana and what has happened with her up until season 3.

“And you say this is bound to destroy Camelot, ma’am?”

 

“Of course,” the woman hissed. She swept her long, unkempt, white hair over her shoulder as she leaned down farther. Her eyes were focused intently on a vat of some kind, bubbles larger than her wrinkled hands popping noisily. 

 

A short man stood stiffly behind her, mouth ajar, trying his utmost to restrain the dozens of pressing questions attempting to escape his mouth. He feared being reprimanded by the terrifying woman. It wasn't as though he hadn't been yelled at by a woman before--that was more common than he would like to admit. He was, however, well aware of the unfortunate circumstances that might dawn upon him if he happened to agitate this particular woman. She could probably end his life with a snap of her worn fingers if she so wished--he was physically weak in the first place, and also bore no traces of magical ability. He came to her in desperation, seeking the end of Camelot and its people.

 

He watched the old sorceress heave the large pot up in her arms with ease. She transported it to the floor in the center of a ring of symbols. The man wasn’t quite sure if she had the markings on the floor at all times or if this was a one time occasion, but he didn’t ask. He feared for his life: he wouldn’t be able to help himself for very long. 

 

She began walking in a dramatic manner around the boiling concoction, chanting unfamiliar words of the Old Religion. He got a chill from the odd performance. Seeing the effects of a magical being’s spells can sometimes be terrifying, but watching the process of creating potions was almost even more unnerving. He couldn’t imagine the years of training it took to get to this point.

 

The woman seemed to hiss each of her words, the sentences drawing slowly from her mouth. The liquid’s bubbling slowed and was changing colors: green to blue, blue to purple, purple to red. Then, to his surprise, the churning liquid became clear and the woman fell silent. 

 

There was a tension in the silence, though he didn’t quite know what it was. It felt like he’d be smothered in the heavy quiet. He longed to break it.

 

“S-so, how exactly does this work?”

 

She ignored him for a few minutes, using an oddly shaped spoon to scoop the transparent potion into a small bottle.

 

The old hag swung around then, catching the man off guard. Her eyes were crazed, and he swore he saw her dark eyes flash yellow for a moment. 

 

“Just a few drops from this vial in his food will last for weeks. If you want the effects to be stronger, add a few more drops. When it seems to have worn off, do it again. It is tasteless and practically invisible. Indetectable. No one will be able to trace it.” Her voice was grating on his ears, but he could tell from her tone that she was very proud of her creation.

 

“But, what… What exactly will this do to the person affected?” He seemed nervous to question her. From previous experience, some sorcerers neglected to even tell him what something did because they either wanted him to find out for himself, or they worried that he sought the ingredients to copy their original recipe. That’s what he deserved for requesting such a vague goal of Camelot’s downfall. 

 

Rather than being offended, she simply raised a bushy brow and smirked.

 

“Why, it’ll make a man’s deepest and truest desire the only thing on his mind. He won’t be able to think of anything else. While he’s so preoccupied with whatever he wishes for, he shall neglect the duties and people around him. Camelot will begin to crumble from within, but it will take time, so have patience.”

 

The man wasn’t so sure about the odd response, but it was good enough for him. Even if things failed miserably, at least nothing could be traced back to him and everything would be the same anyway. 

 

“Thank you so much. If this succeeds, I’m sure you’ll hear news about Camelot’s fall.” He dropped a bag of heavy coins into her hand. 

 

She grabbed his hand with her shriveled ones and held the potion between both of them. Looking deep into his eyes, she spoke softly.

 

“I wish you well.”

 

It was the most sincere she had sounded since he arrived in her small, yet cozy tent of a home. 

 

He simply nodded, then pulled away from her, leaving her to inhale the scent of herbs. 


	2. On the Brain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur wakes up with Merlin on his mind and the urge to see him in his heart.

_ Merlin _ …

 

The name was on his lips as soon as he awoke, yet he wasn’t yet sure why. Arthur was so used to calling his servant’s name in the morning that he assumed it had become a habit now, but he was still groggy. 

 

Lying in his bed, he stretched, his knuckles brushing against the wall behind his head. He let his arms hit his soft mattress, even more relaxed than before. He was tempted to fall back asleep like he usually did, but something was different. There was a kind of energy buzzing in his chest, encouraging for him to rise from bed. He could feel that there was something he wanted to do, but he couldn’t quite place it. There wasn’t a tournament or melee or dual or joust today, as far as he could remember. 

 

_ Merlin _ …

 

Merlin would know. He came to the conclusion that he needed to see Merlin in order to discover what this excitement was built up for. An event must be going on that somehow slipped his mind. How unusual that he would forget.

 

Jumping from the bed, he tried not to tumble to the floor. He remembered back to that time when there was an intruder in his room and the entire bed canopy collapsed onto him, making him fall and struggle for a while. He couldn’t have been more embarrassed. He still didn’t know who the intruder was either. He swore he remembered hearing laughter, so they must have been amused. He was always careful when climbing out of bed now, for fear of a repeat event. 

 

He was mainly fearful that it would happen again and Merlin would be the one to see him struggling. Although Arthur mocked Merlin and forced him to actually do his job as a servant, he truly did care about what Merlin thought as much as he hated to admit it, even to himself.

 

Merlin always had a sharp tongue anyway, and he really didn’t want to add fuel to what kind of blackmail Merlin might have on him. 

 

Arthur began to dress, still distracted by the thought of his servant. What kind of blackmail did he even have? Merlin knew that he liked Gwen, but he wasn’t even quite sure about that himself anymore. His feelings had slowly diminished as Gwen continually shot him down, again and again. He cared for her, but he wasn’t as passionate as he had been before, especially knowing that she would never accept him as long as the rules of royal marriage were still in place. 

 

There also was the fact that Merlin knew Arthur loved his mother deeply, despite never knowing her. That he was saddened by the fact that his birth was the very thing that killed her. Merlin had been there too when Morgause had tricked Arthur into thinking that he had met his mother. This was when she had told him he was born of magic, which he knew now was obviously a lie. God, if he had been born of magic, wouldn’t magic not affect him so much? He couldn’t even keep track of the number of times he’d been enchanted and/or generally affected by a spell of some kind. 

The more he thought about it, the more he believed that his “love” for Sophie had also been an enchantment. Especially since he couldn’t remember the night he apparently confessed his love and decided to run away with her to elope. That definitely was an enchantment; at least he wanted to believe it was. Either way, Merlin still could hold that above his head if he wanted to. 

 

Arthur didn’t want to admit it, but he was lucky that Merlin was as nice as he is. Of course, he’s still an arse, but he could have actually been obnoxious and cruel, manipulating Arthur with all the secrets he knew. God, he could be making things up and spreading rumors about the way he treats his servants. (Well, he could simply exaggerate the truth and make Arthur look bad.)

 

Perhaps that is why Arthur continued to keep him around as a servant: there is too much at stake by firing him. It definitely wasn’t the “hard work” or the “excellent respect” that let him keep his job. 

 

He wouldn’t lie either. Merlin’s company was sometimes a relief too. He treated Arthur like a friend rather than a prince, which wasn’t great in every scenario, but it was a change compared to everyone else's behavior. Merlin told him how it really was, whether the truth seemed harsh or not. Merlin remained the comic relief in his life that everyone needed; he couldn’t imagine life without him. 

 

_ Merlin _ …

 

The need to see Merlin seemed to increase to an urgent level and Arthur quickly finished dressing. 

 

It amused Arthur to see Merlin’s surprise whenever he got up and dressed on his own. Typically, it required plenty of harassment. The mornings were a whole process on their own.

 

As Arthur left his chambers, he realized that each time Merlin saw him awake and dressed without assistance, Merlin had come into Arthur’s room. This is the first time that Arthur will be waking Merlin up. 

 

He smiled mischievously, walking faster down the hallway.

 

Well, this is a nice change…

  
  



	3. Distracting the Physician

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur tries to find Merlin while Gaius is concentrating on his work.

Gaius stood before his work table, raising a small vial of liquid close to his old eyes. He squinted, examining the color closely. He gently rested the glass in a vial rack and began crushing a few powders. The processes for some of these medicines were tedious, but Gaius was patient. He sometimes wished for an easier route, and the first thing that came to mind was magic. As tempting as it was though, he would never use the other-worldly power unless under dire circumstances. He truly appreciated the science behind prepping medicine anyway, more so than Merlin probably would. It was almost… calming, mixing ingredients in the silence of his room.

 

He lifted the liquid he had set aside, raising it in one hand and the container of powders in the other. Although dumping the powder into the liquid would probably be easier, Gaius knew that it would clump. Carefully tilting the vial of liquid towards the other, he slowly began to pour.

 

Suddenly, the wooden door slammed against the wall, the sound enough to make Gaius jump and bring him out of his intense concentration. Luckily, he had held onto the bottles tightly enough that they didn’t fall, but the liquid splashed onto the floor. 

 

Sighing heavily, he raised his head.

 

Arthur’s hand was still on the door, his hair wild. It was evident he was in a rush. He spotted the distress written on Gaius’ face and realized once he saw the floor.

 

“I’m sorry, Gaius, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

 

“Sire, please don’t come over here,” was all Gaius responded with. He gestured to the area of spilt liquid, giving most of his attention to cleaning the mess, watching Arthur out of the corner of his eye.

 

“So, what brings you here at this time of day?” Gaius asked casually, fairly certain he already knew the answer but pretending like he were none the wiser. 

 

“Merlin,” Arthur blurted out. There was a moment that he paused, and he turned a shade pink. Coughing, he hoped Gaius was distracted enough to miss it.

 

“I’m looking for Merlin. Is he still sleeping?”

 

Arthur tried to act nonchalant, walking around the tables and picking up small glasses to swirl mysterious liquids. 

 

Gaius was quiet, watching Arthur with an eyebrow raised. 

 

“Merlin actually isn’t here right now, sire.” Gaius watched Arthur carefully, seeing his unintentional expression of disappointment. The physician couldn’t help but open his eyes a little wider in surprise, shocked from the plainly emotional expression he had never before seen on the prince. Especially when it came to Merlin. He then crouched near the floor and directed his attention away from Arthur.

 

“Do you happen to know where he would be?” Arthur’s voice was firm, no evidence of the former distress in his voice.

 

“I’m sorry, he was up before I awoke.” He glanced up at the blonde and in response, Arthur gave him a face that said: “Really, Gaius, just tell me.”

 

Gaius lifted his hands in surrender.

 

“I honestly don’t know, sire. He’ll turn up soon enough. He always does.”

 

He returned back to his work table, the mess cleaned and his back facing the king-to-be. Arthur understood he wasn’t going to get any more information out of the physician. His shoulders slumped, but once he realized he had done so, his spine quickly straightened and he held his head high. 

 

Did Merlin’s absence really just make his shoulders slump? As a prince and as a knight, his composure should be perfect, servant or no servant.

 

He couldn’t help but continue to be disappointed though, and maybe a little angry too. Merlin is meant to be serving him, yet he’s never anywhere accessible. Now it would become a scavenger hunt. 

 

Arthur frowned. 

 

_ I could have slept longer. _

 

As he thanked the older man and made his way out the door, Gaius leaned his weight against the wooden table before him. He wasn’t quite sure what he had just witnessed. It definitely wasn’t the typical search for Merlin. For one thing, the time of day was wrong. According to Merlin, Arthur rarely got up on his own without persistent coaxing, and here he was, wandering the castle halls for his servant. The uncharacteristic amount of emotion he showed regarding Merlin seemed off too. Gaius could see it in Arthur’s face: he was obsessed with finding Merlin at the moment, for whatever reason. 

 

He’d let the two work it out for the time being, of course unless Merlin came to him with some sort of issue with his behavior. The physician would like to catch and deal with it early if Arthur had been enchanted again.

 

All he could hope was that nothing serious was going on.

  
  



	4. Disappear Into the Crowd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin returns from his "morning walk" and bumps into Arthur.

Merlin left a small home in the town. He never liked to think of the people as poor, but the small huts always reminded him of how good he truly had it being surrounded by castle walls almost all the time. He did admit that he loved the coziness of the residences though, as he always felt welcome. 

 

He knew he needed to hurry. He wasn’t sure whether Gaius knew of his whereabouts, but apart of him hoped his uncle didn’t. Arthur was most definitely still sleeping, but not for long. Merlin didn’t have a lot of time to return to Arthur’s chambers. The day’s endless list of chores loomed in the back of his mind, but he pushed it out of his thoughts as he gripped an empty vial tightly in his hand. 

 

Merlin never felt so distracted in his life. Although it was fairly early in the morning, there were enough people awake that he was continually bumping into other warm bodies. Most just shrugged him off, but a few called out in alarm.

 

“Sorry!” Merlin attempted to make haste, but the people surrounding him slowed him down. 

 

His right shoulder bumped against a man and Merlin quickly apologized, glancing over. Merlin’s arm actually hurt a little, as the person he bumped into had an unusually stronger build than the malnourished citizens. 

 

His heart rate increased.

 

Then he noticed it was a blonde, one not paying close attention to Merlin. One who looked exactly like the exact person he was supposed to be serving. 

 

Merlin’s heart beat so fast it almost pained him.

 

He sucked in a breath and pushed through a few people ahead of him, hoping that they would conceal him just in case the blonde turned around.

 

Arthur’s ears perked up as he heard a familiar voice. The words sounded like a sweet chime that he wished to hear again.

 

_ What am I even thinking… _ Arthur was beginning to confuse himself. 

 

He couldn’t help but hopelessly look around for the boy he was still deciding whether he’d hug or strangle. Arthur couldn’t even remember why he was searching so hard for Merlin. Since when did he ever care where Merlin went? His servant spent days at a time drinking himself to satisfaction and more in the tavern but always showed up eventually. Arthur noticed that he never found his servant when he went missing. The prince tended to search around but typically found him in his own chambers anyway. 

 

_ My chambers! _

 

He figured he could follow the trend and wait for him there.

 

As he turned around, he caught a glimpse of a ragged brown jacket and a red neckerchief. His heart fluttered for a moment.

 

“Merlin! Merlin!” He shouted, his voice getting louder each time he called his name.

 

Attempting to make his way closer to where he thought he had seen Merlin, he tried not to knock anyone to the ground in passing. He called out once more, irritated, but the boy was gone. Arthur attempted to reach an open area in the suddenly growing crowd, hoping he could potentially catch a glimpse of his servant once more.

 

There was an odd yearning in his heart. He wanted to see Merlin. What was he even going to ask him? Ah yes, the day’s events. It calmed him to recall why he was searching for Merlin so passionately in the first place, but something about it didn’t seem right. He could feel that there was something more, but he couldn’t quite name it. All he knew was that he wanted Merlin by his side.

 

Merlin, on the other hand, was on the verge of having a heart attack. Hearing his name called out with what seemed like anger made him try to flee the area more quickly. He could face Arthur in the castle, but he didn’t want to be caught with empty vials still in his grasp. Arthur was bound to ask questions. 

 

Then again, Arthur was bound to ask questions anyway, Merlin realized. He sighed, but couldn’t help but be relieved once he reached the familiar room he had lived in for the past many years.

 

Gaius turned, a look of concern apparent. That was never a good sign. 

 

“Merlin…” Gaius started. Merlin continued to bustle about, making it look like he was preparing for the day, but he was trying to find a spot to dispose of the vials so his uncle wouldn’t see them.

 

“Merlin,” Gaius repeated. His voice was stern.

 

Merlin hesitated to look at him. 

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Where were you this morning? Arthur came by looking for you.”

 

“I was… just going for a walk.” He resumed his movement throughout the room.

 

“Merlin.” 

 

He knew he couldn’t look at Gaius. Any eye contact at this point would break him. He would spill. Of course, this is Gaius, so there wouldn’t be any true consequences except for being scolded, but he’d like to avoid that if he could. Merlin could tell he had been trying Gaius’ patience for a long time.

 

“Did you tell him I was at the tavern?” He sounded like he was joking, but there was irritation beneath the words, knowing the great odds that the answer was “yes.”

 

“No, I said that I didn’t know where you were.” Gaius’ voice sounded exasperated and in disbelief as if he couldn’t imagine telling the prince such a thing. He raised an eyebrow, and Merlin risked a glance towards his guardian. 

 

The vials were out of his hands now, hidden among other bottles that needed to be cleaned for tomorrow. He turned, resting his hands on his hips dramatically.

 

“Well, thank you for not telling him that, even if he was probably thinking it. I should go find him if he’s that worried about me.” A twinge of sarcasm slipped into his voice.

 

Today so far felt like repetitively running away from people. Merlin hoped that it wouldn’t be like that for much longer. 

 

“I’m going to need some help from you later after you’ve finished your duties for Arthur,” Gaius said in a fatherly, yet commanding tone. Merlin grunted in acknowledgment.

 

“Sounds good! I’ll see you later.”

 

“Wait, but Merlin, where were you?” Gaius called out, seemingly remembering the question on the tip of his tongue only now, but Merlin escaped through the door before the words were out of his mouth.

 

Merlin ran through the hallway, eager to be out of Gaius’ watchful and ever-knowing eyes.

 

_ Not even Gaius. Not for a little while. No one can know _ …

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you! Yes, you! The person reading this! Thank you so much for reading my story!!  
> If you have anything in particular that you'd like to see happen between Merlin and Arthur or even just happen in general, please leave a comment and I'll see what I can do. I have many more chapters written, but I'm always willing to add additional information to make this series as intriguing as possible. :)


	5. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin goes to Arthur's chambers, and Arthur is already waiting impatiently for him.

Arthur was waiting impatiently in his room. He wondered whether he should have continued to search for Merlin in the lower town, but his thoughts were interrupted by his chamber doors opening. 

 

Merlin’s head peered around the corner, obviously attempting to be cautious. 

 

When they made eye contact, the bound tension in Arthur’s body released, but Merlin’s chest deflated in defeat. He knew what was coming: awkward questions he’d need to skip around and act like a fool to throw off Arthur’s suspicions. He didn’t expect to hear Arthur say, “Merlin, good to finally see you. What are we doing today?”

 

Silence hung in the air. Arthur waited for a response, then suddenly became worried that he said something idiotic. 

 

_ Did I offend him? What was it that I forgot? _

 

“Well, sire, you have training daily. You also must eat your meals, I presume, unless you’re about to go on a diet…” he said the last part under his breath.

 

“I heard that!” Arthur exclaimed. Although he was offended, he didn’t feel the need to scold Merlin. The ghost of a smile betrayed him. He brushed the comment off. 

 

“Are you absolutely positive that there are no other events happening today?”

 

Merlin’s eyebrows drew together. Was this a trick question? Was there something that Merlin forgot?

 

They maintained direct eye contact for a few moments longer. This was the point that Merlin noticed something was completely wrong. Arthur was looking at him in… curiosity? Concern? His persistent gaze was an unusual look for him, especially since Arthur maintained such a determined, fixed look at the moment. Merlin felt like he was being scrutinized, and not in the typical “I’m suspecting that you did something vaguely suspicious” kind of way. 

 

Taking a breath, Merlin tried to break the silent, yet unnameable tension between the two of them.

 

“I do hope you’re not putting my job on the line if I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He smiled.

 

And Arthur returned the smile.

 

Merlin couldn’t explain the surge through his body that made him clench his fists. Arthur’s genuine smiles didn’t come often, but Merlin tended to witness them when Arthur was staring down into Gwen’s eyes. He knew how much Arthur loved her, but he wouldn’t lie to himself: it was nice to be acknowledged and appreciated sometimes, even if it was only with a smile.

 

“No, I just was trying to figure out what was happening today. I swear there was something important…” Arthur turned away, pacing the room. Merlin was waiting for the day that he would notice marks etched into the floorboards because of how frequently Arthur rubbed his soles in the same area.

 

Then Arthur suddenly swung around, slamming his hands loudly on his desk. Merlin jumped, then was a little embarrassed that he was caught off guard so easily. 

 

“Arthur, what are you doing.” It wasn’t so much of a question, just a statement with an irritated undertone. 

 

“What if it’s something I was supposed to do with Gwen? Or if I had a meeting with a foreign leader today that I didn’t tell you about?” Merlin could see he was beginning to panic. He was rambling and practically shouting his concerns of nonsense. The young warlock waited for him to stop babbling, then crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. 

 

“There isn’t much you don’t tell me. I would know if there was something different going on today.” He was very confident, but Arthur frowned at him.

 

“I don’t tell you everything,” he said haughtily, but he trailed off. His vague statement held no ground. 

 

“Like what?” Merlin laughed.

 

“I was really excited to see you today,” he blurted before either of them could think. 

 

They both fell quiet again, Merlin processing the meaning of the words and Arthur allowing his mouth to fall open in horror. The fact that something like that slipped so easily from his lips was unimaginable. He didn’t even realize it was true until he heard it aloud. 

 

_ Wait, was this why I was so eager to start the day? Was HE the reason I got up early? _

 

Arthur was speechless, still completely shocked that he would even utter a combination of words like that. 

 

“Well sire, I’m going to prepare your breakfast for you, seeing as you’re already out of bed and dressed.” Arthur couldn’t see the wide smile Merlin wore because his servant had already turned his back and disappeared out the door.

 

A part of Arthur urged him to stop Merlin, to plead with him to stay a little longer. He didn’t even have time to process the cry of desperation in his head because Merlin left so quickly. He’d be back soon anyway--at least hopefully. Arthur would like to eat an actually warm breakfast. 

 

Arthur sat on the edge of his bed but didn’t stop himself from falling onto his back. He pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes, attempting to rid himself of Merlin’s afterimage. Arthur could clearly see Merlin’s sweet smile in his mind. He rubbed at his lids vigorously, slightly disgusted with how immature he was being. 

 

This was the point that he realized he didn’t even bring up asking where Merlin was this morning, and possibly seeing him in the town. Arthur had been so relieved to see Merlin when he came into the room that he had simply forgotten about the stresses of searching for him earlier. 

 

Arthur couldn’t believe the kinds of thoughts that were floating around his mind, all relating to his incompetent manservant.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, who has supported this fic so far! Nothing good has even happened yet, but a lot of people have been excited about it. Your comments and Kudos make my day, and even seeing the number of Hits go up makes me happy. I am committed to finishing this fic, so if you're worried about becoming attached and waiting for a story that will never be finished, DON'T worry, that won't happen!! I have many more chapters pre-written, and I've just been posting them when I write more so that I can stay ahead of what's happening.


	6. Fine Dining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur wants to be close to Merlin, so he invites him so they can eat together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, just so you readers know, I changed the number of total chapters. At the rate this is going, I'll definitely have more than 10 chapters, but I'm not sure how many there will be. An undetermined number doesn't mean I'm going to let this fic fade away though. :)

Merlin hurried down the hallway faster than he typically would. Today felt different: it was different. Arthur actually appreciated him? He knew that something was very wrong and it was likely related to magic, but Merlin was going to enjoy himself a little longer. Eventually, he’d put some research into it and talk to Gaius about Arthur’s strange behavioral transformation. 

 

As Merlin reached the kitchen, he encountered Audrey, the head chef. He snatched a plate of food, not giving much thought to the items he was throwing on it. Arthur would eat almost anything. Attempting to escape Audrey’s watchful eye, he swung on his heel and the food slid to one side of the plate. Unfortunately, he didn’t move fast enough, because he heard a deeply-spoken, “Oi!”

 

Merlin turned around slowly, trying to act nonchalant. He wasn’t actually doing anything wrong, but Audrey’s presence made him feel that way. He held the plate of falling food stiffly, trying not to let it drop. 

 

“What do you think you’re doing, boy?” she growled at him. 

 

“Just grabbing breakfast for the prince,” Merlin responded casually, trying to make it seem like not a big deal. 

 

“The prince already received his breakfast. You’re trying to steal some of this precious food, aren’t you?” she bellowed. 

 

Merlin backed up, hoping he could make an escape. The prince received his food already? The last time something like this happened, the conman Cedric was involved and was eventually possessed by Cornelius Sigan. All kinds of chaos let loose because of that. Merlin was getting a sense of deja vu, and he was suddenly uncomfortable with the idea of anyone else serving Arthur the way he did. He wasn’t ready to give up his position as Arthur’s servant, especially not with needing to be close enough to Arthur to protect him. The way Arthur was now reassured him a little, but the situation could change just as quickly as Arthur’s behavior had before. 

 

Then Merlin realized what he had thought to himself. He was relieved that Arthur didn’t want another servant. Was he acting foolishly to be overprotective of his prince and friend?

 

Merlin thought of all of this as he ran from the kitchen and down the hall. Audrey chased him for a short distance, then just screamed at him from the kitchen’s entrance. Merlin kept running though. For as much as he knew, Audrey could easily call the guards to find him. He wasn’t sure what she would say, but it was a possibility. 

 

Merlin panted desperately, out of breath. He stood outside of Arthur’s chambers. He always had a bad habit of walking in unannounced, but this time, he made sure to knock before throwing the doors open. 

 

Arthur looked up in surprise, his food nearly to his lips. Merlin approached him, holding the plate in one hand as he retained direct eye contact. There were questions in his eyes. 

 

Arthur didn’t read any of his silent pleas though, and he finished chewing what had already been in his mouth. 

 

“Merlin, so nice of you to come with food. Unfortunately, George here already served some to me.” 

 

Merlin forced himself to break eye-contact with the blonde in order to see an expressionless man with dark hair, already thinning enough to see the majority of his scalp. His clothes’ color scheme was surprisingly similar to Merlin’s: red neckerchief and blue shirt. It made him uncomfortable how the man almost seemed to be imitating him. He felt burning in his throat and chest as he thought of how much would change if he were replaced now. It was his destiny to protect Arthur, foretold by the Druids. No one else would be by his side so devotedly and still be able to use magic. Despite all that, he cared about Arthur now. Many things had changed between the two since they first met in that marketplace.

 

Merlin couldn’t help the expression his face twisted into. He likely had a combination of anger, confusion, and defiance written into his skin. Merlin expected Arthur to be smirking with a gloating look of satisfaction, but instead, the prince’s eyes widened in concern. 

 

“George, you are dismissed.” He kept his head turned towards Merlin, waving the rather short man away. George said nothing and closed the door quietly. That was the first thing that Merlin noticed about “real” manservants: they didn’t question what they were told, even if was a sudden or unexplained command. The young warlock couldn’t think of a single time when he simply left the room without needing to get the last comment in. He just wasn’t the kind of person to stay quiet. 

 

Once the door gently tapped closed to indicate they were alone, Arthur smiled. Oddly enough, it was a relief to Merlin. The tension in the air had become too much. Perhaps it had been George’s unfamiliar presence. 

 

“Since you took so long, George felt the need to assist you in your duties.” 

 

Arthur continued to smile, and this was the point that Arthur seemed off. His smile was too… dreamy? His tone of voice was bubbly, and he was unable to sit still, rocking back and forth in his seat. Arthur’s smile was plastered on, evidently happy but practically stained onto his face as a permanent fixture. Merlin knew something new would happen. Arthur never acted like this, not even when he talked about Gwen. Merlin prepared himself to hear whatever adventure or task Arthur wanted to go on now.

 

“Sit. Eat breakfast with me.”

 

Eyebrows shot up. Merlin didn’t move, as much as he wanted to by instinct. To sit beside Arthur so close, officially seated at a table. This would mean that Arthur saw him as his equal. Or perhaps, he simply saw him as a close friend, deserving of this kind of chance.

 

“You brought a plate of food; I already HAD a plate of food. What are you going to do with it if you don’t eat it? Give it back to the chef for her to send with someone else?” Arthur chuckled, but he had a good point. There was no way in hell that Merlin was going to attempt [and succeed] at returning food to Audrey. It would be even more painful to throw the food out. Merlin wondered for a moment whether Arthur actually knew his head chef's name or not. 

 

“Are you sure this is okay? I won’t get in trouble?” Merlin hated how that sounded when it came out of his mouth. It sounded like he was a stickler for the rules, when in reality he broke rules left and right, one of them being his presence in the castle. 

 

“Please Merlin, just sit.”

 

Although this didn’t seem right in its own unique sense, Merlin couldn’t deny his king-to-be’s request. He often refused to follow orders on other occasions, but Merlin finally felt… welcome. 

 

Merlin slowly moved forward, standing before the seat beside Arthur. He shifted his grip on the plate in his hand, sliding it onto the dark, wooden table. The food miraculously stayed on the plate. This was the point when Merlin was relieved that he was eating the food he had prepared. The Prince of Camelot should consume only the finest of foods, and Merlin would have given him something that he had last minute thrown together. After he sat down quite ungracefully, Merlin stared down at the food in guilt, avoiding Arthur’s unbreakable gaze.

 

“Merlin, what’s wrong?” Arthur asked with true concern. An honest question with words Merlin had never heard in one sentence from his king. Merlin had nothing to respond with either way. There was something wrong--so terribly wrong, but he didn’t know what. What was wrong? Was it so terrible that Arthur was finally showing appreciation for all that Merlin did? Maybe the odd timing of George’s appearance bothered him. Had Arthur planned for his food to be delivered before Merlin could do so, and that’s why Arthur had been up so early? No, Arthur couldn’t plan ahead like that, especially not for his supposed manservant.

 

Merlin remained silent during this internal debate. Arthur didn’t have much patience for slow responses, but he was concerned.

 

“Merlin?” he said a little louder this time, but the volume of his voice seemed obnoxious for the quiet room. 

 

“Ah, sorry, I just… Do you… Do you have something in mind for today that was planned ahead of time?” Merlin tried to hand the conversation over to Arthur. Typically Arthur had control over the conversation anyway, except for when Merlin was being questioned, but this time it seemed like Arthur’s eyes were fixed on Merlin’s face. He felt much more attention on him than he was comfortable with. He was used to being overlooked; sometimes it was even helpful. 

 

Arthur appeared startled by Merlin’s question. Merlin realized how vague he had been in his desperation for Arthur’s eyes to be elsewhere. He just needed Arthur to take hold of the conversation and he wouldn’t have Arthur’s blue eyes bore into him so intensely. Not long after Merlin became his manservant, he noticed that the prince had a tendency to look up and to the corner of the room whenever he thought deeply. It would be a relief for the few seconds that Arthur figured out what he was going to say. 

 

“I mean, you were so concerned about today’s schedule not too long ago. Is there something else you want to do today?”

 

Merlin crammed a sausage into his mouth so he would be rendered incapable of speaking. As Merlin began eating, Arthur stopped. He seemed confused.

 

Arthur attempted to figure out what he wanted to do. There was something lingering in his mind--he was fully aware that there was something, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. It would bother him too now. This wasn’t the kind of thing that he would be able to simply push aside and figure out later. It was nagging him, and all he could correlate to actual words was that it had to do with Merlin. 

 

Merlin stopped chewing, waiting for something more. Arthur realized he had accidentally said Merlin’s name aloud. Arthur sounded pained; choked up even. 

 

A few more long, dragging seconds passed before either of them dared to move. 

 

“You know, if something is going on, you can tell me.” Merlin stuffed more food into his mouth. He attempted to act in his typical, casual way. 

 

Perhaps Arthur was regretting inviting Merlin to his table? This was pretty unusual for the both of them. 

 

Arthur just stared at Merlin with pitiful longing on his face that Merlin registered as an undecided emotion.

 

“Something happened with Gwen, didn’t it?”

 

“No, nothing happened with Gwen,” was Arthur’s nearly immediate response. Merlin found himself slightly disappointed, pushing the feeling out of the way. His friends were finding love; he should be ecstatic for them. 

 

“But,” Arthur continued, “it does feel different. Something feels different. I don’t know what it is, but the way we connect isn’t the same anymore…” Arthur trailed off again. His eyes were directed at the corner of the room as Merlin had hoped. His heart skipped a beat when he misinterpreted Arthur to be talking about him and Merlin, but realized “we,” meant him and Gwen. Merlin flushed a little, grateful for the stunning blue eyes to be away from him.

 

Merlin stayed quiet for as long as he could, then spoke in a soft tone, almost as if he were avoiding breaking a charm. 

 

“What do you think changed?”

 

This is when Arthur turned back to Merlin, staring wide-eyed. It was almost a terrifying expression. Arthur’s hand was on Merlin’s hand, pressing his palm flat on the wood. His other hand hung in the air holding a fork. 

 

“I. Don’t. Know.” His face was dead serious, slight irritation evident in his words. 

 

“Okay, okay,” Merlin laughed, shaking Arthur off. “Do you want me to talk with Gwen at all? See if anything feels different for her?”

 

“Oh my God no, she might think I hate her and then everything would be ruined!” His eyes were still wide.

 

Merlin kept laughing, this time, more easily. “She won’t hate you, you dollophead!¨ 

 

“Merlin, you don’t understand! Women will misunderstand even the most straightforward of situations!” They laughed together, Arthur leaning back and eating some more of his food. Merlin set his fork down on an empty plate.

 

Merlin knew he probably should stay out of it, but Arthur seemed so distressed before, he’d probably casually ask Gwen about it in a vague way. For the time being though, they both were laughing, and Arthur was less tense. He’d like to leave it on a positive note. 

 

“Gaius asked for some help, but I’ll be back before your training today.” He didn’t ask permission to be excused, he simply stated his agenda as a fact. 

 

“Okay.” Arthur’s smile got wiped once Merlin stood up. He stared up at the corner of his vision again, and Merlin noticed this with despair before he left the room.

 

_ How do I crush these feelings down? _ Arthur thought to himself, physically hurting from the uncharacteristic intimacy. It felt weird to invite Merlin to the table, and he could sense that Merlin felt the same, but it also made him happy. Merlin stayed in close proximity longer than usual, and Arthur’s body had burned. He needed to know why this was happening, especially now of all times. 

 

_ I can’t let him know… _

 

Earlier, he had denied that he told Merlin everything, but in fact he  _ did _ tell his friend nearly everything. This would be his first major secret from Merlin. The warmth he felt died out into sheer cold.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if there aren't actually forks in this time, but I honestly have no idea and I didn't particularly feel the desire to do the research. I DID make sure that Aubrey and George's characters were pretty in character though, and an unnecessary amount of research went into them. *Nervous laughter*


	7. Errands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaius gives Merlin something to do and Merlin talks to Morgana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Morgana finally makes an appearance! I tried really hard to keep her in-character, so hopefully, that paid off. :)

“Gaius!” Merlin called out. “Gaius!”

 

He shouted his uncle’s name a few more times, his voice becoming increasingly louder. 

 

After a few silent seconds, panic washed over Merlin. He was so accustomed to Gaius being present in his lower chambers at almost all times. Nearly ready to start searching the whole castle if necessary, he heard a distant: “God, Merlin, what? Are you okay? Is everything alright?” Gaius came down the stairs, a place Merlin didn’t even think of. Now he was beating himself up mentally for overreacting. There had just been far too much going on that he didn’t think he could bear losing Gaius, the one who had always been there for him since the very beginning. 

 

“Sorry, no, nothing’s wrong. I didn’t know where you were.”

 

“Well, I’m here.” Gaius sighed, raising his arms in a half-hearted shrug. 

 

“So what did you want me to do?” Merlin asked this casually, but a part of him was always fearful for what was to come. Gaius’ chores were interesting as a diversion, but they weren’t always easy. Depending on the people he needed to interact with, Merlin could also accidentally put himself in an awkward position. 

 

Gaius turned away from Merlin, returning back to his typical spot in front of a row of vials and various medicinal ingredients. 

 

“If you could, I have this mixture for Evoric, the innkeeper of The Rising Sun. I hope you remember where the tavern is because I’m pretty sure he runs it. Tell him to take this just before going to bed. I also have Morgana’s draught potion here, even though she told me she didn’t need it anymore. She’s dealt with a lot lately, and I’m sure she probably needs the elixir now more than ever. Also, could you get me more valerian? I can’t seem to find any more.” His voice trailed off. 

 

Merlin turned away, sheepishly staring off at the wall. Of course Gaius would notice the disappearance of his materials. Why did Merlin think he wouldn’t? 

 

Gaius saw Merlin’s face turn red, but he purposely didn’t ask about it. His nephew had been trying to keep more secrets lately, and Gaius knew if he kept pushing for explanations, Merlin might get upset with him for prodding. He could always read the lies on Merlin’s face anyway, so Gaius could ponder the truth before Merlin eventually came forward from his nagging conscience. 

 

He gently placed the two vials in Merlin’s hands, using large gestures to emphasize their importance. Gaius also took a few coins from a small pouch and handed them to Merlin. 

 

“Be careful with these. And don’t forget the valerian!”

 

Merlin was about ready to give Gaius a thumbs up, but then struggled to not drop one of the items in his hands. How humiliating. He decided to use his words instead. He actually cared what Gaius thought of him. 

 

“Anything else?”

 

“Don’t do anything stupid,” was Gaius’ immediate response. Merlin laughed, but it sounded cold and sarcastic. Gaius’ expression didn’t change, but they both could feel the urge of light-hearted laughter bubbling under the surface.

 

“Never!” Merlin called out, opening the door carefully with two vials in one hand. 

 

Gaius smiled, watching Merlin leave. 

 

***

 

I should probably start with Morgana… Merlin thought to himself. He really didn’t want to: the atmosphere always felt tense whenever they were around one another. After her year of absence, everyone except for Merlin was overjoyed for her return. All Merlin could think of was Morgana’s dying expression after he poisoned her with Hemlock to save the Kingdom from eternal sleep. They definitely were not on good terms, but Merlin didn’t necessarily know whether she remembered this or not. It had been a long time, but no one knew what had happened over the duration of her absence. Merlin simultaneously hoped that she forgot so they could start fresh again, but he also hoped that she remembered. Even if Morgana had miraculously forgotten, Merlin would only ever see the evil that had been revealed to him and him alone.

 

He’d get it done and over with. Speaking with her should only take a moment, and it should sound like “Here’s your sleeping potion; bye.” He should get in and out as fast as he could, and he should allow no amount of time to transpire where Morgana can ask him about before her disappearance, just in case she did remember. All of these “should”s. He reassured himself for a moment with all of these last minute, ridiculous rules, but Merlin had an unfortunate tendency to overthink situations. 

 

If Morgana knew what Merlin had done, he was certain he would be able to tell. When they had first met, Merlin always viewed Morgana as the sweet, accepting girl who just wanted everyone in the kingdom to be loved. After he discovered the truth in her alliances, he seemed to spot a strange glimmer in her eye. Her smile seemed stretched and her expressions blatant facades. Of course, he was the only one who could see this, but it didn’t stop him from seeing the truth written on her face anyway. 

 

Before he realized it, Merlin had already approached Morgana’s chambers. He wished that he would have taken some detours, or gotten lost, but then he registered how ridiculous this hope was. This would be a quick exchange.

 

Gently knocking on the partially-open door, he peeked his head in. Morgana stood alone in front of her mirror, seemingly doing nothing. Her stiff stance gave Merlin a chill. The way she braced herself made it look like she was in the process of something much more important than looking at herself, but Merlin couldn’t walk away now.

 

“Merlin. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Morgana turned elegantly, allowing her words to roll smoothly off of her tongue. Her smile was sweet, but Merlin could see it. The glimmer he dreaded, but he knew. 

 

“Just delivering something from Gaius,” he said vaguely, lifting the one potion in the air to indicate it was hers. 

 

A momentary flicker of concern destroyed her facade of casual gracefulness. Merlin reflexively took a step back, but attempted to hold himself strong. 

 

“I have no need for anything from Gaius as of this moment. You can tell him it is a mistake and carry on with your day.” She spoke smoothly, but she practically glared at the manservant. Merlin could sense what she wasn’t saying.

 

“Trust me, I didn’t make this. It’s to help you sleep...” Merlin didn’t know why, but he trailed off. Trust him? He literally poisoned her, and telling her that this medicine would make her sleep doesn’t seem to be the best choice of words. The day she trusted him would be a far time from now. 

 

Morgana didn’t seem to notice his pause. She turned her back on Merlin, going back to brushing her already immaculate hair free of invisible snarls. 

 

“Well, I guess I’ll just leave it here just in case you decide to use it…” his voice trailed off again as he tried to set the bottle on the nightstand besides Morgana.

 

“Merlin, I don’t think that’s necessary. Please, will you leave me?” Morgana spun on her heel, but she spoke with a soft tone, pleading almost. Merlin could hear the authoritative request though. Her features were becoming progressively more crimped, more impatient the longer he tried to give her the vial. He was certain that his confrontation was likely awkward after momentarily discussing his... “actions” before her absence, but all she had to do was accept the vial and let him leave. 

 

“Merlin?” A voice came from the doorway. At first, the manservant thought that it was Gwen, but his heart almost leapt out of his chest when he saw Arthur’s blue eyes. 

 

“Ah, Arthur!” Morgana’s expression immediately softened into innocent surprise. Arthur didn’t reciprocate the apparent kindness though. 

 

Merlin initially hadn’t realized Morgana’s expression twisted until she replaced the mask. He couldn’t prevent the discomfort he felt standing and recovering from passive-aggressively arguing with Morgana. Especially now that he was standing between Morgana with uncertain loyalties, and Arthur, who loved Morgana and would defend her to the end. He was surprised when Arthur looked between Morgana and his manservant and immediately noticed Merlin’s fraught state. 

 

“Morgana, what are you and my manservant doing?” Arthur questioned loudly. The word “manservant” suddenly felt sour in his mouth, so he corrected himself. “ _ Merlin _ should be assisting me in my daily activities.” He literally had no reason for Merlin to be around him at the moment, but he had seen Merlin’s desperate eyes when he passed by. 

 

“Arthur, what are you so worked up about? We were just talking--” Morgana attempted to defend herself, but Arthur interrupted her.

 

“I heard enough! You realize that the only person Merlin should be speaking to is  _ me. _ ” Arthur hesitated once the words were out of his mouth, shocked that he even would speak that way. Yes, Merlin was his friend and technically his servant, but being so possessive that he wanted to be the  _ only one _ for him to talk to? Arthur knew this wasn’t true, but yet something compelled him to say otherwise. 

 

Morgana also let the words sink in, taking note of Arthur’s thoughtful, yet horrified expression. 

 

“Hm,” she responded softly. “I don’t think you need to be worried about how I treat him, Arthur.  _ He  _ is the one who is sneaking around, not me. Like now. Where is your beloved manservant now?” Morgana’s voice became teasing, but she turned away and smirked, preventing Arthur from seeing her now wicked expression. In the mirror, she saw Arthur swing his head around, eyes wide. Merlin was absent now, the vial of liquid resting on a nearby table. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have no idea the insane amount of research I do for fics like these. Just so you know, all of the names Gaius said (potions, people, places), they are all accurate to the show. If I just saved you time researching, let me know because it'll make me feel better for wasting so much time on minuscule details ahaha


	8. Tavern-Hopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin tries to finish up his errands for Gaius. An old friend appears. Arthur is probably wondering where Merlin is right now.

Merlin couldn’t get out of that room fast enough. He wasn’t sure why, but Arthur’s presence today gave him more anxiety than anything. The subtle affection and compliments were nice, but at the same time, Merlin had been “bumping into” Arthur far more often than he’d like. On most days, Merlin spent the majority of his time with the Prince, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy his momentary breaks. Running errands for Gaius? Those tasks didn’t take long. He wouldn’t be away from Arthur for a long period of time, and it also gave him the chance to physically and mentally recover. Sometimes, it was so terribly draining to be around Arthur, as much as he wanted to protect the man and show his support as his friend. 

 

Merlin dashed through the castle halls, avoiding eye contact with any of the guards or servants that passed him. He scurried quickly towards the tavern, one more vial in his hand. He also had the gold weighing heavily in his pocket. 

 

Feeling paranoid, he continually glanced behind and around him. He had had far too many close-encounters when it came to being followed. If Merlin needed to worry about Arthur, Morgana,  _ and _ some other magical being that made Arthur behave this way, Merlin wouldn’t be able to string his nerves up tighter than they were now.

 

He almost could feel Morgana’s cold eyes still boring into him, scoping out the truth. A part of him felt horrible about his last major interaction with her, but at the same time, he knew she was evil. Everything she did was aimed for self-gain, maintaining her pride, and utter manipulation. Merlin also knew that Uther and Arthur were being horribly manipulated since Morgana’s return from her mysterious absence. Unfortunately for Merlin, a year of missing and longing for her made Uther far more protective--even more than before. It was difficult to watch them dine together or hold large group meetings with Morgana in the room. Uther’s normally stone-cold expression softened into fond affection and familial love. Morgana would smile and laugh as if nothing horrible had happened. As if she never left and as if she truly loved Uther in return. Merlin knew this wasn’t the case, but that wasn’t really something to tell the King. 

 

Merlin’s skin wouldn’t stop crawling, so he moved faster, pretending that if he got back to his regular duties faster, his non-existent stalker couldn’t catch up. 

 

He pushed the door to the tavern open, still trying to avoid eye contact. He heard muffled conversations and drunk laughter. Merlin didn’t know how or why someone would ingest so much alcohol at this early hour that they were already wasted. As he approached the bar, he spotted Evoric wiping the counter and more laughter reached his ears. Merlin paused once he realized the noise sounded extremely familiar. 

 

“Merlin!” A man with a hat pulled low over his face called out, turning to slap him on the back. Merlin unintentionally cringed away, the supposedly friendly gesture hurting more than it should have. Merlin’s mouth dropped open as he struggled to place the voice, but the man tilted his hat up for a split second, revealing brown eyes. 

 

“Gwaine!” Merlin accidentally said in shock.

 

“Shhh, Merlin, sit with me, have a drink,” he hushed him, ushering him to the seat next to him. He raised his index finger to Evoric, nodding his head towards Merlin. 

 

“No, no, I’m good. I’m just dropping something off.” He raised the vial up, showing the bar owner. The man’s eyes became extremely wide, and he disappeared quickly to grab something.

 

“What are you doing here?” Merlin whispered after watching Evoric leave. Merlin’s voice was all concern, but he couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face. 

 

“Just stopping by for a drink. Tavern hopping: it’s a lifestyle.” Gwaine smiled back, raising his drink in a silent toast. 

 

“Wow, I can’t believe you’re here!” Merlin knew he wasn’t contributing to the conversation, but he was so surprised to run into Gwaine.

 

They still didn’t know each other too well, but after everything Gwaine did to help him and Arthur, it felt as if they had known each other for years. He said he hated nobility, but his actions were always honorable, and Merlin could recognize that that was a quality Camelot desperately needed. Although Gwaine was oftentimes irresponsible--drinking himself into oblivion, for one thing--Merlin began to think of him as a good friend. He could trust him to help if need be. 

 

Evoric reappeared at that point, seeming jittery. Merlin stood, handing him the vial. The bartender firmly placed a small sack of coins into his hand.

 

“Please tell Gaius a thousand thank you’s.” His eye contact was intense, and Merlin was immensely unnerved. They rarely spoke to each other, but the moment was incredibly fierce. Merlin didn’t even know what the medicine was either.

 

“Of course,” Merlin said slowly, trying to unlatch his hands from the other set.

 

“Gaius said to take that before going to bed.” Merlin quirked his lips in a temporary smile, backing away. 

 

“Yes. Thank you again.” Evoric rushed to his backroom again to store the vial somewhere out of the customers’ reaches. 

 

Merlin snorted a little when he turned back toward Gwaine, chiding himself for his own immature discomfort. He opened his mouth to ask Gwaine if Arthur knew he was around when a sound of screaming from outside rang throughout the tavern. 

 

Everyone froze, sharing horrified looks. Merlin was the first person to react, slamming his body against the door to get outside. He stuffed the newly acquired currency in his other pocket, leaving his hands free. 

 

Citizens of the lower town all stared in the same direction, open-mouthed and wide-eyed. Fingers pointed towards one of the smaller homes. Merlin ran in that direction, confused as to why there was an issue. Then he saw the bright colors from the window, realizing with sick terror that there were flames quickly increasing in size. Even worse, the fire roared where he had been that morning.

 

_ Gaius noticed that the valerian was gone and then I couldn’t even properly use it.  _

 

He cursed under his breath, glancing around to see how many people were watching. Onlookers gaped, and Merlin knew he couldn’t use his magic in such a public location. So, instead of standing there to admire the growing colors, he jumped through the window.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, whether you just found this or if you've been a dedicated reader waiting for me to update, thank you for reading my story!  
> I appreciate your support so much--you have no idea how happy it makes me!  
> Like I've said before, I try to stay several chapters ahead of what I have posted, so that's why it took me a little while to finally post this. Trust me, it'll delve into a lot more of Arthur's current... issue, haha, and also build upon the "behind the scenes" kind of details that I've been including.  
> If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear them! <3


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